The Queen's Prophecy
by Sivillian
Summary: Never before has StarClan sent such a prophecy. Queens are important. They are the givers of life for the Clans. Without them, Clans will become nothing but a bunch of cats growling old with no successors. But they are not truly recognized. The queens deserve a story. The queens deserve a prophecy. -On-Hold-
1. Into the Darkness

Never before has StarClan sent such a prophecy...

_"The givers of life, one of each Clan, shall brighten and lead the way out of darkness and back to stars."_

The givers of life: queens. They have never been the most recognized cats in the Clans. True, they are essential to bear kits for future warriors, but is that all queens are? Kit bearers? No, they are compassionate. They are concerned for each and every one of their Clanmates. They are closer to StarClan in spirit than any cat, though they do not know it.

It is time for the queens to rise. This prophecy shall brighten every cat...

* * *

**Chapter One: Into the Darkness- Firestar (Not that one. Troll.)**

The flame-colored leader whipped around frantically. "Hello? Who is there?"

"Help me!" A scared yowl rang once more through the trees, bouncing off every leaf and every branch, echoing into her ears from every direction. "Help!"

"Who are you?" The leader demanded, feeling her heart race and pump against her chest painfully."Where am I?"

The forest was shadowed with a black, starless sky. Tendrils of knotted grass grabbed onto the red cat's paws like a hungry eagle's talons, strong and painful. She was paralyzed with fear as the roots and vines slithered up her legs like snakes and tightened around her throat.

"You will never escape." A distant whisper said. "No cat ever escapes."

The suffocating she-cat tried to writhe out of the forest's grasp. Her ears were pierced by the screams for help and the foreboding whispers. Suddenly, she realized she was having a nightmare in the Dark Forest. What happens to a living cat in the Dark Forest is real...

The thorns and leaves dug into her fur and scraped at her skin. What happens here will remain when she wakes up. If she wakes up that is. The tendrils squeezed tighter around her throat. Froth dripped from her chin as she fought for air. The last breath in her body was drowned by her own blood as the sticky, hot liquid dribbled out from her mouth.

"Help me...!" She cried weakly. Her last words were lost under the screaming voice in the distance and drowned out by the gurgling of her blood.

* * *

"Hello, Firestar." A long-furred tabby tom greeted her grimly. His pelt was glittering with silver frost. A blue aura surrounded him.

"HELP!" She yowled again. "Oh?" Looking down at her paws and neck she saw that the roots and grass were gone. She started to breath fine. Her mind cleared away the fear. Her wounds and scratches were dripping with blood but she started to feel relief. A sweet healing wash enveloped her body.

"Firestar," the former ThunderClan leader brushed his plumy tail over her face down to where she stood. "You're fine now. StarClan are healing your wounds."

Firestar watched as time seemed to reverse. The blood dripped up into her scratches. The wounds closed and her red fur grew back in.

"I'm losing a life... I lost a life..." She looked up, her yellow eyes flickering with confusion. "Barkstar, what happened?"

"A cat summoned you into the Dark Forest." He sighed, sitting down and wrapping his tail around his paws neatly.

"But why?" Firestar asked him. Perhaps the leader before her, Sunstar, had summoned her and killed her. Or perhaps her former apprentice, Treeshade, called her for revenge. She looked up at him expectantly.

Barkstar shook his head. "I do not know. Something horrible killed you with no trouble at all. Now do not look so grim, please. There are some cats here who want to see you."

Firestar nodded and took a deep breath. Beautiful misty woods surrounded her now. There was no more creeping tendrils of withering plants now. Stars were everywhere. Not even one speck of evil and darkness was hiding under the ferns and the flowers.

A band of starry cats padded towards her from the lacy mist. Their fur was beautiful and their eyes shone healthy. There was her mate, Berrystripe, her best friend, Silverleaf, and Silverleaf's kit, Wolfstar. If Wolfstar, or Wolfpaw when she died, had lived on, she would have become a leader. The sight of her friends made her heart flutter in happiness.

"Firestar." The ginger tom bowled her over with one strong leap. His star-strewn eyes were happy to see her. "I've missed you since the day I died."

Knocking him off of her, Firestar sprang back up. "I'm happy to see you again." She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him though. She often had dreams with Berrystripe. Tonight, however, she had a much stranger dream... A nightmare... A living nightmare...

"Oh, hello, Firestar!" The youngest cat meowed, a hint of her in-born sassyness laced with each word. "I haven't seen you since your leader ceremony thing!"

"Yes, it has been awhile, Wolfpaw. Er, Wolfstar..." Firestar corrected herself awkwardly. She couldn't help but feel odd to be in the presence of a StarClan apprentice made leader.

"It's okay." Wolfstar shrugged. "It's weird. All these ancient flea-bags call me Wolfstar. But I guess StarClan is pretty cool. I mean, look!" She hopped around on her paws. Wolfstar had been born missing a back leg, but now a starry silhouette replaced the missing limb's place.

"It's wonderful." The ThunderClan she-cat agreed.

"Is it my turn to talk to her?" A silver she-cat asked, sounding much like her daughter. She nudged through the tom and her kit. Her green eyes were glittering. "Firestar. Are you okay?"

"Well, losing a life in the Dark Forest is no walk in the woods." Firestar admitted, glad to feel each tiny wound sealing up. "What's wrong, Silverleaf?"

All of her friends blended into the woods except for Silverleaf. Berrystriped faded, his green eyes disappearing into the mist. The ThunderClan leader from long ago, Barkstar, stepped into the woods and was covered in the veil of the stars. The WindClan apprentice, Wolfstar, leapt happily into the sky. She left a trail of frost as she raced to the distant reaches of the stars. Their misty surroundings closed in on them as if the woods were ringing around them protectively so no cat else could hear. StarClan or not,

"I have a prophecy." The silver queen meowed quietly.

Firestar pricked her ears and leaned forward. A mixture of fear-scent and worry was rolling of her friend's fur. Was this a prophecy foretelling the end of the Clans? Was ThunderClan in danger? Her pelt prickled with worry.

"The givers of life, one of each Clan, shall brighten and lead the way out of darkness and to the stars."

* * *

"Firestar...?" A voice called out to her.

The leader sprang up, her heart was racing. She was back in the Dark Forest.

Hanging vines reached out towards her, waving like outstretched paws to grab her and take away another of one of her lives. Her throat would be squeezed... Her second life would be taken away slowly... The air would be crushed from her lungs and fluid would rush up to her mouth, gushing down red from her foaming chin.

She was surrounded by darkness, and the vines made what little light there was shadowy and dappled. Firestar backed away from the leafy tendrils. She pressed against the cold, hard bark of a tree. She was cornered.

Suddenly, a ginger tom emerged from the tendrils. His blue eyes were glowing menicingly. It was Sunstar.

"Stay back!" Firestar growled.

"Firestar?" He backed up into the vines. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head. This wasn't the Dark Forest. This was her den in the ThunderClan camp. The tree behind her was just stone. The vines were just the lichen curtain waving the breeze. The tom was just Sunnypaw, one of her Clan's apprentices. She must have thought he was Sunstar since he was one of the evil tom's sons. Firestar took deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, Sunnypaw. I was having a bad dream." She sighed.

"It's okay, Firestar." He dipped his head respectively. "I was just wondering when I'd get my final assessment."

The red she-cat nodded and sighed through her nose. Sunnypaw was long overdue for his warrior ceremony. It was just that Firestar couldn't help but see ThunderClan's evil leader inside the innocent apprentice.

Feeling guilty for being wrong and treating him rather unfairly, she agreed to assess him along with his littermates the next quarter moon.

"Um," Sunnypaw turned to leave, but he looked back over his shoulder. "If I pass, please don't name me 'Sunnyheart'."

"I won't." She promised.

After the ginger apprentice left, Firestar slumped down into her nest. She had so much to do today! She had to assess the younger apprentices' progress today. She also needed to check up on the kits.

Usually, leaders didn't check up on their kits and queens regularly, but Firestar had been a permanent queen when the medicine cat, Littlebranch, had chosen her to be the new leader. The queens and their kits had been treated to so poorly under Sunstar's reign. That was why Firestar made regular rounds to the nursery along with her pther leaderly duties.

Bringing herself back to her paws, she padded out of her den and leapt down to the ground. Pushing the nightmare into the back of her mind, she took a deep breath and gazed upon her Clan. ThunderClan was so good now. Kits were being born when she-cats decided they wanted them. Apprentices were being, for the most part, correctly trained and treated. The warriors were strong and just. The elders were happy and peaceful.

_I almost don't want to be leader... When I was a queen I didn't have to look after every single cat! I can't relax anymore. _She thought tiredly. Firestar saw Flowerpetal, a young mother, sunning on a rock with her kits tumbling around at her paws.

"_The givers of life, one of each Clan, shall brighten and lead the way out of darkness to the stars._" The voice of Silverleaf echoed in her head. Was the prophecy speaking of queens? Was Flowerpetal the cat to lead the way? "_No, mouse-brain. You are one of them, not her. She's lazy._" Silverleaf clarified.

"Thanks, Silverleaf." She muttered before choosing a scrawny finch to eat for breakfast.

* * *

Edit: Sorry for the confusion. I named her Firestar on purpose so you would be confused. I'm serious. But not only that, each cat in this story is an OC I've used before in other stories. That's why she is here. She just happened to be a leader and an old mother. Firestar was once a queen named Fireface and blah blah blah StarClan chooses her and blah Silverleaf is the cat that I use for all of my prophecy-delivering, So blah and behold, this ThunderClan cat is not the MAIN main character I have four other she-cats waiting to be introduced...


	2. Into the Water

**Chapter Two: Into the Water- Saltwhisker**

* * *

The day was absolutely beautiful in Saltwhisker's opinion. The sun was shining on the river like the scales of a fresh fish. The reeds billowed like birdsong in the breeze. It was not too hot and not too cold. It was days like this that were perfect for hunting.

"Stonefall, please take Birdwing and Minnowfoot hunting by the Twoleg Bridge." She meowed to the gray tom. "Flowerfur, please take your apprentice downstream and assess his swimming skills." Saltwhisker nodded to the black-and-white warrior. "I'd like some volunteers to patrol the ThunderClan border!" The deputy meowed.

"Oh! Oh! Us!" Two apprentices tripped over each other to get to Saltwhisker. "Can we, mother?"

"I'm the deputy right now." She hissed softly. The excitement in her son and daughter's eyes made her happy to be a queen.

"Can't we, though?" They tilted their heads. Stormpaw and Runningpaw looked up expectantly.

"Only if both of your mentors take you and if you behave like warriors. You never know when ThunderClan might attack." Saltwhisker warned them, shivering at the memories of the old ThunderClan leader. But she was certain their current leader was much better than Sunstar and maybe even the ancient leaders.

"Okay! We're off." Stormpaw nodded eagerly, barrelling through his sister to find their mentors.

Seeing that most of the cats went out of camp to enjoy the good weather and bring back some good prey, Saltwhisker decided to go stretch her paws and spend some time alone. When Foamstar had named her deputy, she had no idea how hard it would be to fulfill seemingly easy tasks of sending patrols and counting heads. It was no walk in the woods at all. Since her kits had just been apprenticed, she had a hard time not treating them with extra speciality as deputy.

Swimming across the stream out of camp, she padded along the rocky earth looking for a place where she hadn't sent out a hunting patrol. A vole suddenly crawled over her paws making her jump up in surprise.

What a stupid piece of prey! What kind of critter runs over a predator's paws? The phrase, "May prey leap into your paws," caused her to chuckle to herself. She dashed after the vole, skidding along the rocks. The plump and sturdy body disappeared under a stone out of her reach.

Saltwhisker sighed. The funny creature was safe from her claws for now. Feeling no regret for losing a plump piece of prey, she continued wandering along the pebbly land. It was just too beautiful of a day to be feeling down. After some thought, the deputy realized that she had never seen the world so positively before she had her kits.

Suddenly, her happy day spiraled into a dark, black whirlpool. Saltwhisker stood still and perked her ears to listen. Her heart beat in the fur of her ears.'"Help me!" A watery scream yowled, bouncing off the stones and into her ears. "Help!"

The silver dappled tortiseshell dashed towads the river to the source of the scream. Saltwhisker searched the water surface for the cat in distress. Her heart was racing. It could be Runningpaw! Her daughter might be drowning!

She swallowed her bile and splashed into the river. At the deepest place in the river was a surge of bubbles. Whoever was sinking to the murky depths of the rushing water was right there. Saltwhisker pushed herself off the bank and paddled expertly into the water.

Using her RiverClan skills, she dove down into the river just as the bubbles stopped surfacing. With a mouth puffed with air, and eyes open and stinging from the river's current and floating grit, she fought the strong current and powerful white paws.

She felt the squishy sand at the bottom. Strings of freshwater kelp and seaweed and other water plants wrapped around her back paws like sticky binds. The deputy looked around wildly for the cat who had sunk. Her lungs began to burn as the last breath left her.

She pushed off the bottom and swung her paws to go back to the surface for a new breath of air. But the tendrils of slick plants wrapped around her back legs, pulling her down as if she had stones in her belly.

Saltwhisker kicked and struggled to get away. The light of the sky was shining from another world it seemed. She felt like her whole body would burst. She looked back down and gave another kick.

A pair of blue eyes stared up at her from the plants and stones of the riverbottom. She let herself sink as the eyes paralyzed her whole body. Saltwhisker could see the river passing over her and the light from the blue sky and bright sun. She could hear the caw of birds and the yowls of cats. It was so distant.

Fish swam right by her without any thought, mostly because they didn't think. Saltwhisker felt herself blend into the mud of the riverbottom. She saw the unblinking blue glowing eyes.

The sounds of rushing water and birds and cats grew silent as blackness came over her sight. Then a voice as clear as if she weren't in water meowed in her ear, "The givers of life, one of each Clan, shall brighten and lead the way out of darkness and into the stars."

* * *

"Hey! She's waking up." A cat meowed.

Saltwhisker was blinded by the light and the cat standing above her was black and blurry. She blinked until she saw the face of the old tom Shinyshell. He was the medicine cat.

A few more cats appeared by her side. Her kits and her own father were wide-eyed and worried. As they came into focus, her face must have flickered with recognition. Runningpaw sighed in relief and groomed her sleek fur rapidly. Stormpaw had a look of relief as well, though he tucked his head into his paws and sat by her side. The senior warrior, Stonefall, gave a gracious nod to the medicine cat.

"Saltwhisker, do you remember what happened?" The gray tom asked her.

"No..." but she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remember. "Yes! There was a cat drowning in the river! I leapt in and dove down to save her, but I got caught in the water weeds."

Stormpaw looked up. "The only cat drowning was you."

"No, no, no." Saltwhisker shook her head. "I was saving that she-cat."

"No, Mudpool saved you. He heard you yowl and he dove in and dragged you out." Runningpaw meowed with a horrified expression.

"Look, I'm the deputy and your mother. I know what I saw. What I heard." She growled. Then she began coughing up water.

"We'll thank Mudpool for you." Stormpaw sighed and left the reedy den.

Runningpaw gave a long look at her mother before padding after her brother. Stonefall sighed as well. "All three of you take after Runningstorm."

Runningstorm was Stonefall's mate and Saltwhisker's mother. She had named her kits after her. Saltwhisker stood up with the help of the medicine cat.

"Please take it easy." Shinyshell said, leading them out of his store.

Stonefall padded away to the fresh-kill pile leaving Saltwhisker standing alone. "The givers of life... I'm a life-giver." She murmured, staring t her kits who were speaking to a brown warrior named Mudpool.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, but the next few chapters are like prologues about how each cat recieves the prophecy.


	3. Into the Swamp

**Chapter Three**: **Into** **the** **Swampland** -**Marshfoot**

* * *

It was a sunny day; perfect for kits to not go and play but rather take a nap and let their tired mother have some time to herself. It had been such a long time since Marshfoot left the camp. Every queen needed a break sometimes, especially the she-cats who had large litters.

Grooming her four tiny kits to sleep, she snuck out quietly from the nursery. It pained her to leave them in the bramble-woven den, but it drove her crazy being with them for days without end, without a walk to stretch the ol' paws.

"Hello, Marshfoot." One of the warriors greeted her as she padded to the exit. "It's a good day for a walk."

"Yes, and a good day to get away from a few kits." She sighed, happy but tired. Marshfoot looked back at the nursery, waiting for her four little bundles to come running out and begging her to come back and play or even tag along and go with her into the forest.

"Would you like to go hunting?" He asked expectantly, making her turn away from the nursery. Toms knew that queens and her kits were inseparable. But he was being persistent.

The long-furred queen hadn't hunted since she moved dens. The prospect of some good hunting excited her. "Of course, Grayclaw."

The queen and warrior padded out of the ShadowClan camp together. The pine trees smelled so fresh and wonderful. Though the scent of milk was comforting to any cat, she missed the pine forest and all the scents that blew through it.

The warmth of the sun seeped into her black fur and warmed her skin. The pads of her paws were pricked by the fallen pine needles. It reminded her of her kit's tiny claws and small teeth. It amazed her that a whole world can change when a queen has her kits. Her little kits were always on her mind now.

They walked over to the marshy part of the territory hoping to catch a frog or two. The hard needley ground turned soft and squishy. Marshfoot relished the sight of the swampy land. The muddy pools, scrubby trees, and tufty grass was her home. After all, it was in her name.

The warrior pointed his tail at a rustling bush. Grayclaw padded ahead to the scrubby tree and stalked the bird that hopped around in it. The silver tom sniffed the air. Then he worked his way around so his scent wouldn't be caught. Grayclaw waited for it to hop down onto the roots where bugs were crawling around. The bird flapped down onto the ground right in front of his nose. Get it! She said in her head. He stretched out his paws and caught it before it even realized he was there. He bit it and it went limp.

"Good catch." She meowed, padding over to him. "Now it's my turn."

Grayclaw purred and set down the tiny bird. "Show me you aren't kitten soft."

"Ha!" She waved her feathery black tail across his nose. "Queens are still warriors."

Marshfoot sloshed through the puddles, determined to catch a frog which could be slippery and more difficult to catch sometimes. She loved the mud squishing between her toes and how her fur skimmed across the water.

When she found a pool where bugs were skipping and swimming, she crouched down in the mud and waited for a frog to hop into her paws. Grayclaw watched from a distant, waiting to be impressed by the queen.

A tiny green creature hopped around on the dry patches of dirt. Marshfoot wiggled her haunches and prepared to leap from the water. Suddenly, a bird flew overhead and squawked, causing the frog to leap way from the queen.

Frustrated, she pounced after it. Her jump was sluggish and she landed clumsily. The frog jumped away into another pool. As Marshfoot pursued the slippery critter, she could hear her companion hackling with laughter.

She frolicked through the mud like a kit. Queens could only watch their own children play and warriors were supposed to carry out their duties. It was wishful thinking for the Clans to let their cats have more free time. But prey had to be caught and borders had to be marked.

Her heart was soaring as she playfully gave chase to the prey. She would do almost anything to be a kit again! It would be wonderful if Grayclaw would be her playmate, but he must have been too busy laughing at her foolishness.

Finally, after running in a circle around a scrub, she caught the frog in her claws. Now that the chase was over, she felt her heart slow down. Marshfoot looked up. Grayclaw had spotted another bird despite all the noise she had just made. The queen took his signal to be quiet as he stalked the feathery morsel. The queen picked up her prey.

She stepped lightly to make her way back to camp. But the frog had dropped from her mouth in a slick struggle. It hopped away madly. The she-cat was so used to carrying live scraps that she had forgotten to make kill of the fresh-kill!

Careful not to disturb her friend's hunting, she padded after the frog, her bat-like ears laid down to her head. Maybe she wouldn't kill it. Maybe she would take it back to camp live for her kits to hunt. Maybe she would if it didn't get away!

Marshfoot hopped into a thick pool of mud. The slimy frog was slipping away! She nabbed at it with her teeth, barley missing its leg. Mouse-dung! I was too busy playing and now I don't have anything to bring back.

She gave up after it had dove into a puddle and swam away in the murky hiding spots of the marsh. The queen sighed and turned to go back.

"Huh?" Her paws wouldn't move.

The mud was clinging to her fur like burrs in a badger's belly. Marshfoot took a deep breath and pulled her legs out. But she remained in the mud. Her heart began to race. Was she s-sinking? She felt her body slowly blend into the ground.

"H-help!" She squeaked fearfully.

Two paws, those whom did not belong to her, stretched out from the mud. The claws scratched at her and then gripped her legs. At the surface of the pool was a pair of blue haunting eyes.

"GRAYCLAW!" She yowled. Oh Starclan! Stop this nightmare!

The gray warrior raced over to her, the bird long gone in the sky. "What's wrong?"

A voice whispered into her ears, "The givers of life, one of each Clan, shall brighten and lead the way out of darkness and to the stars." It sent chills down her spine. The poor queen was almost starting to get a panic shock.

Grayclaw came up from behind her, eyes widened in confusion. "Mar-"

Marshfoot bowled him over and curled up in his belly fur. She pressed her muzzle into his shoulder and whimpered feebly. Surprised, he stroked her with his tail and whispered comforting words of which she could not hear. What in StarClan happened?

"Hey, what's going on?" A feminine voice called out though the marshes.

"Cloudbreeze!" Grayclaw meowed, raising his head and tail. "Over here."

The white she-cat and her brother, a silvery tom named Puddlesplash, rushed to their side. Marshfoot still had her face buried in Grayclaw's shoulder. They tried to coax her to stand up, but she refused.

Puddlesplash went off to fetch the medicine cat while the queen continued to hide in the hold of the gray warrior. It was awful. It was so awful. Those eyes were awful.

Marshfoot suddenly scrambled up to her paws. "My kits!" She couldn't let the monster get her kits.

Cloudbreeze and Grayclaw exchanged looks. They got up to their paws and ran after the frightened queen back to camp. The medicine cat and Puddlesplash were close to being run over by Marshfoot. They dodged out of her way just in time.

Ignoring her bewildered Clanmates, she went straight to the nursery. Where were they? Her kits? Her heart was beating in anxiety. Where were they?

"Blackkit? Pinekit?" She mewed frantically. The other two queens had gone back to their warrior duties when their kits were apprenticed. It was mouse-brained of her to leave without having another cat watch over them.

"Juniperkit?" Marshfoot sniffed around the corners of the nursery. "Softkit?"

Her nest was empty and kitless. They were a reckless bunch and they could have run off. Or, the monster could have taken them. Marshfoot collapsed on the soft earth. The feeling of the icy cold mud wrapping around her legs... the bright menacing eyes appearing like an omen.

"Oh no." She whispered to herself. "I'm a queen! I can't have StarClan send me a stupid prophecy now. I have kits."

With that, she stood up shakily. Marshfoot hobbled out of the nursery. The ShadowClan cats were staring at her as if she had fox noses sticking out of her ears and a badger head coming out of her butt.

"Marshfoot," the leader was standing on the Clanrock. Four fluffy scraps of fur was hanging from her pelt. "I found your kits."

"Oh." The black she-cat padded over, her pelt burning in embarrassment. Why had StarClan sent the burden of a prophecy to her? Couldn't they have sent the prophecy to a different 'giver of life'?

I mean, come on! I have four kits here! You really think I can take care of four scraps AND fulfill a prophecy? She yelled madly at her warrior ancestors silently as she pulled each of her kits of the once dignified leader.


	4. Into the Trees

**Chapter Four: Into the Trees- Falconflight**

* * *

The moon brushed its silvery rays along the tips of the leafy trees. The starry spirit of a leaping tiger soared through the night sky, leaving droplets of shining dew on the forest. The brown tortoiseshell she-cat climbed up the rungs of the thick, tall oak tree, placed her paws close to the trunk. She stopped and watched the tiger spirit fly through the stars.

Drops of water plopped onto her fur in round, wet orbs. Her bright green eyes were unblinking. The tail of the tiger lashed into the night and coated the rest of the Clan's territory in dew.

"Glidingwing," a voice growled impatiently. "What's the hold up?"

Gildingwing looked down at the queen who was climbing the tree with her. The rounding queen was lashing her tail and glaring at the medicine cat. Her amber eyes were glowing in the night.

"I'm sorry, Falconflight." Glidingwing meowed, nodding in understanding. "I just saw..." she trailed off, forgetting what she was going to say.

The she-cats clawed their way up on the bark to the next branch. They scrambled up the last slim twigs at the top of the oak. Falconflight swallowed her fear. The kits in her belly were making her heavier than usual.

The sticks were close to breaking under their weight and the earth was so far below them that if they fell, they would tumble down countless fox-lengths and slam into the ground with such force they would go to StarClan and beyond.

Glidingwing dug her claws into the bark and felt around for the oak's hollow. Suddenly, her paw was inside the tree. Silently, she pointed her tail to the dark space for the amber-eyed queen. She climbed into the hole and waited for her companion to follow.

Falconflight grunted as she pulled herself into the hollow. She growled at the medicine cat once more. "It's a tight fit." They were pressed together in the tight spaced hollow.

"I am sorry." The tortoiseshell meowed, her green eyes dim in the darkness of the oak hollow.

They blindly scooted up the hollow's walls until they came out to the top where the bark was jagged. Glidingwing clawed her way out. She was relieved to be outside of the tree and under the stars without a single leaf obscuring the sky. She heaved herself out and tumbled into the soft eagle nest. Falconflight came out after her.

They sat in the abandoned eagle nest to rest while they waited for the half moon to shoot a beam of light on the tree. The queen rolled up into a ball and stared at the hollow that jutted out in the middle of the nest. A twisted twig was growing from the trunk. At the end was five large oak leaves. Instead of the leaves being green they were silvery and sparkly.

She watched them waiting for them to glow. Glidingwing had her paws crossed as she stared up at the moon, twitching her whiskers as if she were quietly talking t the stars. The SkyClan medicine cat had always been a bit strange. It was rumored that she once fell out of a tree as a kit and hit her head along the way. Falconflight didn't know if she believed it. Glidinwing was weird, it a good medicine cat. Besides, if she fell out of a tree she wouldn't be in SkyClan anymore. Any cat who touches the earth is exiled. Or dead.

The queen sighed. In her belly, the little kits tumbled around like butterfly stones. Falconflight knew she was nervous about them and about StarClan. She rested her head on the thick wall of the soft nest of twigs and straw and looked at the distance. There was mountains beyond the Clans, beyond the Highstones. She could catch the faint shimmer of water between a mountain pass.

Finally, the half moon passed over the tree. The five oak leaves shimmered in ripples of silver. They glowed like the moon itself. That's why they are called the Moonleaves. Since SkyClan can't go to Highstones without touching the ground or being unnoticed by the other Clans, they use the Moonleaves to share tongues with StarClan.

"The Moonleaves are ready." Glidingwing said, flicking her tail for the queen to stand up. "Lick the dew and you will dream with our ancestors."

"Obviously." Falconflight muttered. She grunted as she rolled over onto her paws.

Glidingwing bent the twig down and poked a starry leaf with her small pink tongue. Falconflight did the same. Both she-cats slumped down onto the soft floor of the nest.

"Greetings, Falconflight." A gray she-cat meowed.

The black-red-brown queen looked around. She was standing on a big web of bramble that branched across the earth. SkyClan do not touch the ground even in StarClan.

"I see you are here for your kit's Star-Acceptance Ceremony?" The starry cat asked. With a flick of her tail, she led the queen across the bramble to a giant willow tree.

As they came upon the great willow, Falconflight cast an askance look to the Starclan cat. "I've never seen you before. I thought the Star-Acceptance for my kits would be some cat else."

"Well, usually some cat else would do this for you, but I have more to discuss with you. My name is Silverleaf, and I once walked with ThunderClan." Silverleaf explained, giving a flick with her ear. She understood what the queen meant.

Falconflight had never known any cat outside of her own Clan before. Even when she visited the Moonleaves as an apprentice a SkyClan cat had greeted her. They nimbly leapt from branch to branch of the grand willow tree until they were at the top.

Falconflight looked out into the territory of StarClan. The edge of the world was rounding and the horizons glowed softly white as if they lived on the moon itself...

There was a stretching expanse of moorland thast looked windy even from all the way at the bramble garden. There was a woody forest with trees much shorter than could be used as SkyClan territory. There was also a muddy marsh and a big network of water. Hundreds of starry spirits raced through the wind, prowled between the trees, splashed through the marshes, and swam through the rivers.

"Let us begin?" Silverleaf asked, her green eyes glittering.

The SkyClan queen nodded and sat down. At the top of the willow was a big disc of bark that sloped into a pool of water. Falconflight had never been able to play in water as a kit. The only water you get to drink in SkyClan is dew off leaves or water collected in the DewPool. She let the water lap at her paws.

Silverleaf sat at the other end of the pool with her tail wrapped neatly around her paws. They both sat up straight as the starry she-cat spoke. Suddenly, hundreds of Clan cats appeared below the tree, looking up at Falconflight.

"Within presence of every spirit of our warrior ancestors, we summon forward Falconflight to present her kits for StarClan's acceptance." The gray she-cat meowed, her voice ringing through the stars. "Long ago the five Clans lived in peace on the earth until SkyClan was forced from the forest."

The round queen couldn't help but feel like this was going to be a long ceremony.

"The four Clans were wrong to not aid the dying Clan. SkyClan declared that StarClan was no longer their warrior ancestors. However, a band of former-SkyClan rogues climbed above ThunderClan territory, forged a new Clan, accepted StarClan once more, and now share tongues with us by the Moonleaves.

"How do we know the descendants of Falconflight will accept StarClan as she does?" Silverleaf asked to each of the starry cats who watched the ceremony from the bramble garden.

A chorus of mews and murmurs rang through StarClan asking if the kits would continue to live in the secrecy of SkyClan while still believing in StarClan. Falconflight's black-red-brown pelt burned. How dare they ask such questions?

"Do you, Falconflight, accept StarClan with your heart?"

The queen nodded, staring Silverleaf in the eye. "I do."

Silverleaf pointed to the pool with a forepaw. "Then step into the pool."

Falconflight was nervous about this. Water? On her? Ha! Only in the cool, chilly mornings! But she stepped into the pool slowly. It was warm. The round queen waded into the middle where it came up to her neck. She was staring up at Silverleaf who was looking down. She could still hear the whispers of the other StarClan cats.

Silverleaf flicked her tail into the water. It rippled. Falconflight looked down at her reflection. Two kits, both brown with slick fur, were staring up at her. They had stars in their pelts. But a third was brown with long fur. It had no stars.

The sitting cat was also looking at the reflections. One kit was never going to accept StarClan. Falconflight saw this, too.

"Two kits of SkyClan will be born under the stars!" Silverleaf announced, standing up and facing the spirits.

They cheered. Some chanted the queen's name. But Falconflight didn't know what that meant for the third kit. Silverleaf helped her out of the pool. Slowly the other cats began to fade. They jumped out of the willow back down to the thicket covered earth.

"I am about to tell you something, Falconflight." The gray she-cat whispered, drawing close to the queen. "It's a prophecy. You must never tell a single soul unless I show you who to tell. Promise?"

"Yes, of course." Falconflight perked her ears. Was this prophecy about her third kit. Would it destroy SkyClan as they know it?

"The givers of life, one of each Clan, shall brighten and lead the way out of darkness and to the stars."

"How was the ceremony?" A brown tortoiseshell asked the queen, gaming and standing up in the eagle nest. "Wait, you can't tell me!"

"Yeah, okay." Falconflight said, blinking.

This prophecy... what was it going to do to the Clans?

"Glidingwing," she looked at the medicine cat, amber eyes blinking. "Does StarClan live truly in the stars or on the moon."

The medicine cat purred. "When it is our time to live with StarClan you will know the answer."

* * *

Boom, twist right? I put SKYCLAN before WindClan!  
I made up the Star-Acceptance thing exclusively for my version of SkyClan. Which apparently live above ThunderClan.


	5. Into the Fall

**Chapter Five: Into the Fall- Graymoth**

* * *

It was a sunny green-leaf day. The moorland was teaming with prey. The sky was wispy with clouds and the breeze was blowing like always. But one lonely cat could be spotted far from her camp, like a moving stone in a sea of grass.

The cat was a small, lean tabby. Her amber eyes were dark with sadness. She was a WindClan warrior. Fast, slim, and smart cats who live together like rabbits in tunnels- that's WindClan. But this she-cat was walking instead of running. She alone instead of with her Clanmates.

She walked at the edge of the gorge, glancing down at the river that churned below. Her name was Graymoth and she needed a break from her duties. In her waning age, she felt something nagging at her from the back of her mind. Purpose. How could she serve her Clan is her age? She wasn't old, she was just older than some cats.

But what purpose did she have in WindClan? As an apprentice, she got in trouble. As a queen, she had two perfect kits. As a warrior, she did everything a warrior was supposed to do. But her life was so average. How could she feel complete when she had done nothing for a greater good of her Clan?

Sighing, Graymoth sat down and stared at the river flowing through the gorge. She neatly wrapped her tail around her paws and craned her neck to watch the blue water crash white onto jutting rocks. Sitting here at the edge of a cliff gave her a rush of adrenaline.

The tabby sighed once, though through her nose this time. Why was she here in WindClan? Why had she not achieved any special goals in life? Was she sick? Why was she thinking this way?

"Maybe I should just fall." Graymoth murmured to herself, whiskers twitching emotionally.

It would all be over. She didn't need to be around for her kits; they were all grown up and had apprentices now. She didn't need to be around for her mate. They were less than together now. She didn't need to be around for her Clan. An old average queen couldn't be any use to WindClan.

"Just one step," the tabby said, feeling her nose run wet.

She wasn't pretty. She had plain amber eyes and an average gray tabby-striped pelt. She bore small battle scars in her flank that made her fur ragged around her tail. The Clan was already swelling its ranks with new kits and apprentices. She was just a waste of prey. A lost voice. One step and she can be free of her loneliness.

One step. Graymoth held a paw over the edge. There was no more earth. Just air. One step...

And she took that step. Like a falling bird, she fell from the cliff. The sky grew distant as the falling queen fell. The wind rushed up into her body, making Graymoth feel like a feather.

She loved it.

The layers of stone flashed before her eyes. The river had carved its way through the gorge for countless generations. It was a work of StarClan. The gorge was beautiful.

The sound of the churning river became louder and louder the longer she fell. Goodbye, Figflight. Goodbye, my kits, Mothtail, Figleaf. Goodbye, brother. Goodbye, WindClan.

The blue mass of water caught the queen and tucked her in its fold of currens. The small body drifted down the river towards the waterfalls. Waterfalls that RiverClan claimed.

Graymoth was unconscious, but not dead. Yet. Her body surfaced the water where there was at least air to be breathed. Rocks and fish passed by her, sometimes hitting her without thought. Especially the rocks.

The river made a curved turn before thundering into falls. She slammed into the gorge's outer wall and scraped her pelt against the gritty stone. The waterfalls drew closer.

Still unconscious, the falls made powerful pulls in the water, tugging on her body like a kit playing tug-of-war. But even in her sleeping-like state, memories flashed in her head.

The pictures of her and her friends facing death as apprentices. They were using the ancient WindClan tunnels to get to the farmplace quicker. Figpaw had gotten lost. Then, somehow, an ancient spirit led them out. Her name had been Shimmer Frost. She had actually gotten them more lost, but when she disappeared they were under the farmplace and her brother Thornpaw, now Thornfoot, had dug them out.

And the time when she felt her kits tumbling around in her belly. She and Figflight wanted kits badly. They were young but happy. They had two perfect kits. As proud parents, the she-kit was named after herself and the tom after her mate.

She remembered the awful times WindClan went through. Rogues, kittypets from the farmplace, three new leaderships in her own life!

Her amber eyes shot open. Graymoth didn't want to die just yet! She choked on the water, so she somehow spit it out through her nose. Unaware when was about to fall over a waterfall, she began to think the noise was just wind blowing over moorland.

When the river turned her body around she saw a watery drop, yet he didn't panic. But... WindClan cats hate water. What was she going to do? Have a watery death? Panic for the inevitable situation she put herself in?

Graymoth didn't know how to swim. But even if she did it was too late to try to swim back. The tabby queen took a deep breath and ran. She pushed her paws and propelled herself faster to the falls. It would be less pathetic this way.

She found a small rock and clung to it, able to see the bottom of the waterfalls. It wasn't scary at all. Energy was surging through her, and she felt no emotions. The old queen pushed her paws against the stone and spread her legs out as she leapt through the air.

She was a bird. A feathery gray bird. She wasn't average. She was special. Every she-cat is special.

* * *

The RiverClan deputy padded along the pebbly bank downstream from the falls. Why had no cat believed her when she had herd a cat drowning? She knew what happened! Even the part where she was tangled in the river weeds.

Suddenly, a gray body floated past her. "I knew it!" She yowled, trying not to sound triumphant about a drowning she-cat.

* * *

_a/n: We're finally out of the prologues! Yay! As you can see, each queen is different from the last and each chapter has had a different writing style. I'd like to thank all of the authors, and guests, who have reviewed. I hope Graymoth's... way of thinking isn't off-setting. I just need a wide range of different attitudes. And sorry this chapter is much shorter than the others._


	6. Surge of Awakening

**Chapter Six: Surge of Awakening**

* * *

The blue sky was full of wispy breath of clouds. Slowly, very slowly, the wisps swirled together into bigger clouds, puffy and white. The soft breeze blew into stronger gusts, pushing the clouds into a big gray mass. The calm willows began to shake. The river's calm surface suddenly surged over the banks. The gray clouds began to spit with drips of water. Rain began to pound down from the sky in bigger drops. Warm air was replaced with bone-chilling coldness. The rising storm broke out in blasts of rain and shouts of wind.

A single cat was in the middle of it, running across the territory, looking for signs from her warrior ancestors. Signs of clarity. Only a day ago, she had heard the screams for help from a she-cat drowning in her Clan's river. She had never found the cat. But in her watery search, she had received a prophecy.

Suddenly, a wake swept her off her paws, pushing her down with a thud on to the stones on the earth. What a swift storm! The deputy watched through squinted eyes as the river crash and roar against the banks. If it rained any harder they'd have a flood that would wash the entire camp away.

The deputy scrambled up to her paws and ran to higher ground before another wave could swallow her up. Not even a cat of her skill could fight the river when it was like that. And plus, she felt miserable. She was shivering right down to her bones. Her silver dappled tortoiseshell pelt was plastered against her cold skin. The rain pelted her eyes, so she was practically wandering blindly, relying on familiar paths under paw.

A raspy meow stopped her in her tracks. "The givers," The usually level-headed she-cat whipped around. _Your just imagining things, Saltwhisker. It was just the wind and water._

"...of life," the voice was there again!

The deputy spun around. The wind was blowing in her face and driving the rain into her pelt. It made her feel damp and miserable but she stayed in the bad weather, looking around hoping to find the voice.

Saltwhisker swiveled around in circles. The voice was real, bu the waves were just too loud! She couldn't pinpoint where it came from.

"...one of each Clan," The scratchy voice murmured.

Saltwhisker shook her pelt as the storm finally began to let up. She was chilled to the bone standing there. So she padded over to where the voice came from.

"...brighten... and lead. The way, out, of, darkness." Saltwhisker finally heard the voice clearer. It made her heart leap in hopefullness.

She spotted one of the willows dripping wet from its leaves. A dark burrow was tucked under its roots. A gray paw was laying out.

"I knew it!" Saltwhisker meowed in surprise. Earlier, right before the storm, she had sworn she saw a floating gray body but had dismissed it as floating drift.

Saltwhisker flicked the water out of her ears. The swift hitting storm was finally moving on, but the river crashing behind her. She picked her way through the slick pebbly land and in the willow's burrow there was a sodden queen breathing shallowly. The deputy was surprised that she was right. Her Clanmates had been thinking she was going crazy around the late. But she was right, there was a cat in distress. Saltwhisker didn't recognize her but she needed to be saved, RiverClan or not.

The river pushed one more surge of water. It climbed over the banks and crawled up to the tree line. Saltwhisker held in a gasp as the freezing water nipped at her paws. It slooshed back down to the river and stayed down this time; the clouds were starting to part. The deputy shivered. Was the queen dying?

"a-a-and lead the way..." The unconscious tabby murmured, unaware of the cat stanfing of her.

Saltwhisker gasped. It was the same prophetical words for sure! Her body began to shiver uncontrollably as the voice spoke in short mews. The clouds let in a streak of light. The river calmed down.

"...to the stars."

The sky was suddenly clear. The river was still. The birds began to chirp. Saltwhisker was shocked. The weather. It... it was raging when the queen was quiet. It calmed as she spoke of the prophecy.

The WindClan she-cat opened her eyes and spat out water. "Oww..." she moaned, rubbing her cheek with a shoulder.

"What's your name?" The RiverClan deputy asked softly, hoping to keep her from going into shock and from startling her. But she was shocked herself! The weather was now so warm, so bright. It was cold and chilling just a few moments ago.

"Graymoth." She mewed weakly. Graymoth looked away from the young she-cat as if she were embarrassed. Embarrassed to be... old.

Saltwhisker tipped her head and coaxed her out of the damp, stony old burrow. The queen wouldn't budge. Graymoth curled up into a tight ball, breathing in watery wheezes. Her amber eyes stared at her paws. Her pelt was soaking her skin, leaving her chilled down to her thin frame.

It was a pitiful sight to see. But what an odd situation! "Can you repeat what you said?" Saltwhisker crawled into the shadowy burrow. Her blue eyes were glimmering and hopeful.

Reluctantly, Graymoth slowly gave a small nod and spoke in a raspy voice. "The givers of life, one of each Clan, shall brighten and lead the way out of darkness and to the stars."

Saltwhisker raised her brow whiskers. This was no coincidence. Givers of life meant queens. One of each Clan meant... well, a queen from each of the four Clans. The rest of the prophecy was a mystery, but this was as clear as a calm pool.

"Graymoth." She ventured, her heart brighten as the queen had revealed the prophecy. "I received those same words. I think we are star-chosen cats."

The tabby mewed weakly as she finally began to feel the cold stones pressing into her wet pelt. The smell of fish and mud made her want to spew, but she kept her cool. "Saltwhisker," Graymoth recognized the deputy. "Wait...What? When?"

"I got it when I was diving in the river. Do you remember when you got it?"

Graymoth licked the water off of her muzzle fur, eyeing the RiverClan she-cat. "I don't know when I got it. I just know it."

"You were saying the words in bits while you were unconscious." Saltwhisker mewed. "How'd you end up here anyway?"

The old queen looked her in the eyes, amber to blue. "I fell into the gorge."

* * *

The Clan cast askance glances toward the deputy as she led an outsider into the camp. The kits poked their heads out of the nursery, mewing and pointing their tails at the old gray tabby. Warriors sat in the high places of camp, drying their fur in the sun. They watched the pair pad through camp with eyes like hawks.

The elderly white tom came out from his reedy den, eyes dark in tiredness. His long white fur was matted. He was no doubt one of the oldest cats of the Clan. "Saltwhisker," He meowed in a gruff voice. "Who is this trespasser you bring?"

"Foamstar," she dipped her head in respect. "This is Graymoth from WindClan."

The tension in the camp stiffened. Graymoth was told she would be welcomed into the Clan to be treated by their medicine cat. She looked at all of the RiverClan warriors from the corners of her eyes, not moving her head in fear that they might all jump to attack. They were acting as if she would unleash a great and terrible onto their souls in one lash of her tail. They certainly had no reason to fear an old she-cat like herself.

"She had fallen into the gorge and, miraculously, survived the drop _and _the plummet down the waterfalls." Saltwhisker explained, flicking her tail to Graymoth's flank.

Foamstar blinked. "What a hearty old queen, eh?"

"Old?" The tabby choked out. Her wet fur was heavy and her lungs were damp, but she felt a fire burn. "Am I s-so old for you to say th-that _I'm _old?"

The RiverClan tom laughed loudly. "Take her to Shinyshell. But she must have a warrior by her at all times. When she is ready, take her back to WindClan." He said, loud enough for the Clan to hear. "She's just like Silverbird." He added in a mutter under his breath.

"Well, come on, Graymoth," Saltwhisker meowed, catching the leader's whisper. Silverbird was his mate from long ago. Whenever Foamstar was reminded of her he'd go back to his den and stay there for days. He was depressed- and old- beyond belief. That's why being deputy was more of a burden then she had thought.

Saltwhisker led the wet cat to the medicine den. They padded through a deep olive sedge that led into his calm burrow. The white-and-gray tom was already preparing herbs. He had heard the commotion about the outsider.

His messy white-and-gray fur stank of fish as if he hadn't washed in days. Graymoth felt sick to her stomach, like a writhing snake was hidden in her belly. It seemed liked none of the RiverClan toms groomed themselves.

Shinyshell noticed her wrinkled nose. "Nnn, sorry," He pushed a flower stalk toward her.

Graymoth was embarrassed for not showing respect for the medicine cat. How rude could she be? The tabby bent down and sniffed the herb. It was for the smell, not for her body. All of RiverClan smelled pretty gross in comparison to sweet heather and rabbits.

"Keep that with you. It's lavendar. It will make the other scents disappear." He shrugged and twitched his tail, and then went back to making a concoction of medicine on a thin, flat rock.

"Thank you," She meowed, rubbing her nose along the hardy purple bugs. The fishy smell of RiverClan was replaced by the fresh intoxicating scent of lavender.

Saltwhisker watched Shinyshell like a hawk. When she was a young apprentice, Sharprock had been trapped under a rock and his leg ws broken, but Shinyshell was able to fix it. She had wanted to be a medicine cat, but then she found that it was harder than she looked. Saltwhisker was glad she had become a warrior. She had two kits, Runningpaw and Stormpaw. And she was the deputy!

"Coltsfoot, dandelion, no... fennel." The tom muttered to himself. He picked through his herbs carefully. He looked up at Graymoth. "So do you have a cough?"

"Ahhhck." She shook her head. "Just wheezy. Water in my lungs maybe?"

"Do you have body pains and soreness?" The medicine cat asked, sweeping up a leaf.

Graymoth did feel _very_ sore. Like, who wouldn't after fallen into a river and then down some waterfalls and then into more river and then washed up inside a tree?

"Mmhmmm..." Shinyshell began to pull around many different herbs.

Saltwhisker watched uncertaintly. He was so messy and disorganized now. The storm had blew into the den and mixed up all the herbs.

Graymoth respectfully chewed and swallowed the herbs Shinyshell prescribed to her. She could only recognize the dandelion leaves, but she trusted the medicine cat.

"Thank you," Saltwhisker meowed, touching the tom with her tail. "I'll get Graymoth to a nest and let her rest."

"That sounds good." He nodded, looking away from the deputy and to the queen. His yellow eyes narrowed.

The tortoiseshell held her breath. Was Shinyshell seeing something beyond what was in front of him? He probably could tell something about Graymoth wasn't normal.

"Let's go, Graymoth."

"Okay. Thank you again, Shinyshell."

"Mmmhmm."

* * *

Saltwhisker and Graymoth were sitting along by the elders' den by the willow trees in camp. The deputy was munching on a fish. "Are you sure you don't want any?" She asked, licking her muzzle.

Graymoth shook her head. "No, thanks."

"I understand. WindClan only eat rabbit and birds sometimes." Saltwhisker nodded, taking another bite of the silvery fish.

"I wish a patrol came in with a rabbit." She sighed softly.

Graymoth laid down in the dappled light and shade. She felt more at home with Saltwhisker. The tabby had been so lonely for such a long time. The attention was nice. Looking over the camp, she saw how lovely RiverClan was. The kits were swimming by the nursery. The apprentices were coming and going from training and hunting.

"Those two are mine," Saltwhisker swallowed, pointing her tail at two gray apprentices leaving with a brown warrior and a white tom. "The she-cat is Runningpaw, and the tom is Stormpaw. I named them after my mother Runningstorm."

Another patrol swam into camp. One of the warriors had a rabbit! The kits were making a big fuss over it, though none of them wanted it. Saltwhisker jumped up and ran down to them with a twitching tail.

Just like she had wished, she got a rabbit! Graymoth rolled over on her side to let the sunlight warm her belly. she had to explain what happened... Why she had fallen... She chose to fall...

* * *

"That's sad. You poor queen." Saltwhisker mewed, after Graymoth had told her how she ended up in the falls. "It's amazing though. You know, how you survived."

Graymoth nodded slightly, taking a bite of the wet, warm tasty rabbit. It was amazing that she had survived. But, she had wanted to die. This piece of fresh-kill made her home-sick, but not enough to want to go back to WindClan just yet.

"It's just weird, though." The deputy meowed, laying down and crossing her white paws. "You know, how we both have the same prophecy." She didn't mention the weirdness of the storm that had hit before finding the old tabby queen.

Graymoth blinked her amber eyes. "Yep. One of each Clan. That means there are two other queens from ShadowClan and ThunderClan." The herbs the RiverClan medicine cat had given her was working. She felt much clearer in her chest.

"Yes, that's true." Saltwhisker nodded in thought, flicking her ears. "We might get another message soon."

The gray tabby nodded and laid down as well. "Can I get some sleep first?" Graymoth felt like a kit, whining.

"Let's go to Foamstar's den tonight instead of the warriors', okay?" She laughed, twitching her tail.

They heaved themselves up to their paws and scrambled down the slope. The two she-cats padded into the leader's den. Foamstar wasn't there. Saltwhisker was worried about the old tom.

"Well, let's sleep over here tonight. He won't mind."

"Okay, if you say so. I hope tomorrow brings me heather." Graymoth said, amusing herself.

"Hm?"

"It would be nice if some heather washed up to camp."

"Well, maybe we should just sleep right now and we could search for heather tomorrow..."

"I was just kidding..."

"Go to sleep..."

"Huh? Wha? Saltwhisker, what are you two doing in my den? Oh, well, whatever."

* * *

_A/N: And so, the first chapter out of prologues is here and it is long! Heh heh, I'm glad some of you noticed in the last chapter Graymoth didn't get her prophecy. But she did in a different way because... well... you'll see..._


	7. The Border Patrol

**Chapter Seven: The Border Patrol**

* * *

It was dusk. The sky was bleeding pink in the sunset. The feathery clouds were changing to purple with approaching night. The stars of Silverpelt began to glow with sparkling light.

The flame-colored leader sat at the base of the Highrock, watching as her deputy organized patrols. "Dustrose, Swiftstep, take your apprentices to patrol the RiverClan border." The light ginger meowed at the ThunderClan warriors. "Hazelclaw, Cedarfall, take Sunnypaw and Snowpaw to Tallpines and watch for kittypets. I think they might be getting a little too cozy across their fence."

Firestar watched her Clan move about proudly. It seemed like a hundred lifetimes ago they were all slaves. She remembered how Sunstar had put all of the queens under his paw. It was horrible, but all over now.

"Narrowtail," She mewed to her deputy. "I would like to lead a patrol by the ShadowClan border."

The sandy ginger turned around and nodded. "Okay. You three! Come over here! Firestar's leading a ShadowClan border patrol." Narrowtail beckoned two warriors and an apprentice who were sharing tongues by the nursery.

"Be careful. That storm was so sudden today. We don't know what might have gotten disturbed in the forest." Narrowtail said, nodding to her leader.

"Will do, deputy." Firestar purred flicking her tail across the ginger's nose.

The four warriors padded through the bracken tunnel and into the forest. Their lush territory was wet from the rain. Round fat orbs were resting on fern fronds and dripping off tender leaves. Puddles gathered under trees; the stream by the ravine was swollen with stormwater.

They padded through the moist undergrowth. The moss squished under their paws, seeping into their toe fur. The ThunderClan leader ducked under a wet leafy branch.

"Eeek!" The apprentice squealed.

Firestar turned around. Blackpaw was shaking her pelt out.

"You know how to battle, hunt, and track, but you can't duck under a branch?" Her mentor asked with a throaty voice.

Firestar _mrrowed _with laughter. Her Clan was slowing getting used to their new leadership. They talked more, played more, and laughed more. This was an example of their blooming confidence. A joke. Yes, more jokes, even lames ones, meant the Clan was becoming less automatic and more... loose. Clan life was returning to normal as it had been many seasons ago.

"Come on," The red she-cat meowed as Blackpaw flung droplets on them.

They padded towards the Thunderpath. They had to be vigiliant around the ShadowClan border. There was an underground tunnel that went under the Thunderpath connecting ShadowClan and ThunderClan together. And a very long time ago, a story passed down by generations of elders, a monster swerved off the Thunderpath and crashed into the forest. The smallest scent of the tragedy was still lingering where the monster had crashed.

"Hey, hey, is that a ShadowClan patrol?" The small apprentice meowed. She pointed her tail towards the shadowy forest.

Firestar squinted her eyes and looked across the path into the rival Clan's territory. She could see a lone ShadowClan cat chasing a frog. "No, that's just a queen hunting. It smells like a patrol passed by not long ago."

Blackpaw and the two warriors nodded and padded along, making sure there was no suspicious activity by the Thunderpath. Firestar stood on the edge of the pavement and let the patrol move on. A monster roared by leaving her sneezing and blinking grit out of her eyes.

The ShadowClan queen was staring at her when the dust cleared. The black she-cat's gaze was glowing in the dusk light. Firestar couldn't look away. Their eyes were locked.

"Come on, Firestar!"

The ThunderClan leader watched the ShadowClanner from the corner of her eyes as she padded back to the patrol. Something was pinching her stomach. It was the feeling you get when you see something bad about to happen.

* * *

The night sky was bright with stars. The gray storm clouds had broken up and became small wispy breaths of white. The swampland and pine forest were still wet from the storm. Scents of mud and fresh pine needles were hanging heavily in the air.

In the bramble nursery of the ShadowClan camp, a queen and her four kits were snuggled up in a soft mossy nest.

"I love you all." The queen meowed, licking each of her kits in turn.

"We love you, too, Mother." One of the she-kits mewed.

"I love you more." One of the toms said with whack over his sister's head.

"I love you more than he does." His brother meowed loudly, pushing his two littermates out of the nest.

"I've loved you longer than them." The eldest said cleverly.

The queen purred. Her kits were lovely, beautiful, and were very rambunctious. She swept them all back up into the soft nest. "I love you all most."

She looked down at her litter. Each kit was the most adorable bundle of fur she had ever seen.

Blackkit was just like her. He had long feathery black fur with green eyes.

Pinekit reminded her of their father. She had dark gray fur, though it was longer than the tom that had once been her mate, and her eyes were blue like his.

Softkit was a fuzzy furball. He had a dark gray pelt and it was so long he tripped over his own paws. He'd grow into it, and his too-big green eyes as well.

Juniperkit was the eldest of the litter, and the prettiest. She had feathery silver fur with light leafy eyes. She was named in honor of her mother's mother, Juniperstar. Juniperstar had been a great leader long long ago. She had reigned over ShadowClan before Scarletstar and even before Mudstar and was the best the forest had ever seen.

They all snuggled together like a mass of long, feathery dark fur in the moss nest. They all laid there, silence broken by the ribbits of frogs and songs of crickets and the snoring of the other cats in camp.

"Marshfoot?" One of her kits were still awake.

"Yes, Juniperkit?" The queen mewed, eyes closed.

"Can we go hunting with you tomorrow?"

"No, but I promise I'll take you all hunting when you're apprentices."

"Okay. Good night, Mother."

"Good night, daughter."

Juniperkit fell back asleep. Marshfoot stayed awake, though. When she saw Firestar, the ThunderClan leader, from across the thunderpath earlier, something churned inside of her. It made her compelled to talk to the red-and-cream she-cat.

...

Marshfoot sprang up, knocking her kits out of the nest. She whipped around frantically, lashing her tail and breathing hard. She flicked her eyes around the nursery. It wasn't flooding with mud. No, this wasn't the nightmare. She was awake. The floor was soft underpaw with moss and dried grass. The only other cat was Daisypool, a queen getting bigger and bigger as her kitting day approached. What a dream... She instantly forgot it but it was about mud.

"Marshfoot?" Juniperkit and her littermates blinked sleepily, laying on the floor instead of the nest. "Are you okay, Mother?"

"Yeah, just a bad dream. Get back in the nest, it's not yet dawn." The black queen told her kits.

They all dragged themselves back in, snoring. Marshfoot sighed. There was plenty of other queens in Clan. Well, there was one she-cat starting to round, though she hadn't moved to the nursery yet. There was also plenty of she-cats who've had kits before. They all could have gotten a prophecy! But nope! It had to be her. The one queen with four kits and no mate had to get the Star-stinkin'-Clan's prophecy.

Marshfoot needed to clear her head. She slipped out of the nursery into the cool pre-dawn air. The milky light of dawn was soft on the horizon.

The long-furred queen padded across camp, giving a brisk nod to Grayclaw who was on sentry duty. She barely noticed the longing in his eyes. The gray warrior let the queen pass, but the other cat, Cloudbreeze blocked her path with a white tail.

"Where are you going, Marshfoot?" The she-cat asked quietly.

"I need to go for a walk to clear my head." The queen replied tiredly.

"Mm-hmm..."

Grayclaw shook his head. "Cloudbreeze, she has four wild kits. Let her go out."

"Grayclaw," Cloudbreeze whined, flicking her ears. "I mean, remember what happened last time?"

"Yes," Grayclaw admitted, remembering the last time they were naive to that excuse. "Spottedwing tried to go back to WindClan."

Marshfoot sighed miserably. The tom gave her a sympathetic glance.

"Fine." The black she-cat mewed. She turned on her paws to go back to the nursery.

"Wait," Grayclaw said, making Cloudbreeze's smug look turn bitter. "Cloudbreeze doesn't trust you but I do. How about I supervise you until we get back."

Marshfoot purred happily. "Thanks, Grayclaw."

The two ShadowClanners went through the entrance, leaving a lone sentry looking gloomy.

Grayclaw and Marshfoot padded through the pines as the stars slowly began to fade from the night-dawn sky. She breathed in the heavy, moist pine scent. The storm had left the forest dripping with rain. Small shiny orbs drippied from overhead, pooling in small dips of the needle-covered ground.

Grayclaw watched her from the corner of his eyes. He loved her, though she would never guess. He could meet WindClan in battle, he could raid the rats at the carrionplace, but he couldn't tell the queen how he felt about her. Grayclaw knew that she thought of him as his friend. Every cat in ShadowClan thinks he's in love with Cloudbreeze, but only he and Cloudbreeze herself knew that he wasn't.

Marshfoot padded beisde him, breathing in the fresh scents to clear away her worries. "Grayclaw, I can tell you anything right?"

His heart skipped a beat. "Yes, of course, Marshfoot."

"Well, I..." She weighed whether or not to tell him about the prophecy. "I need to be alone right now."

Grayclaw's tail drooped. "I understand, Marshfoot..."

The queen watched her friend trudge back to camp. She felt horrible keeping a secret from him. She wanted to someone. Anyone! Her ex-mate would understand completely. He knew everything about her. Though Grayclaw was a wonderful tom and she would love to have him father her kits in that fox-hearts place, Grayclaw was in love with Cloudbreeze.

Marshfoot waved her tail at him though he didn't see. She took a deep breath and continued to walk through the forest territory. The needles under her paws were crisp, and the orbs of rainwater were cool against her skin as it seeped into her thick leg fur.

The roaring of a monster alerted her that she was near the thunderpath. She watched the white, shiny monster vroom past, eyes glowing like moons. A spray of water splashed her from where she stood.

Marshfoot shook the water from her pelt. She looked back up. Across the thunderpath was a cat. A she-cat with a red pelt and a cream streak running from her forehead to her tail. It was Firestar.

The ThunderClan leader ran across the acrid path witout even looking for a monster.

"Firestar," the black queen choked out.

"I've been anxious." The leader meowed, flicking her tail. "I saw your green eyes and knew you were the same cat from the border patrol. I've been wanting to talk to you since."

"Um, yes, that's exactly how I feel." Marshfoot nodded, stepping close to the she-cat.

Usually, being near a ThunderClan cat would make her feel alarmed unless it was at a Gathering. But strangely, she felt a connection to Firestar.

"You're a queen aren't you?" Firestar asked softly.

"Yes, four kits." She nodded proudly to the leader. "Weren't you a queen before becoming a leader?"

"Yes... I suppose you could say that we're givers of life."

Marshfoot realized that Firestar was testing her. "Yes, you could say that. One from each Clan."

Firestar sighed in relief, her yellow eyes glittering in the night. "Will brighten and lead."

"Out of the darkness." She responded.

"And to the stars." Both she-cats said in unison.

"I know a place where we can go." Marshfoot said, looking around to see if any of her Clanmates were near.

Scenting the air, there was only them and the acrid stench of the thunderpath. Marshfoot led her through ShadowClan territory along the thunderpath where a tunnel connected both Clans. They had a lot to talk about.

* * *

_A/N: Yay! Finally, there are two pairs now. So, do you ship GrayclawxMarshfoot or GrayclawxCloudbreeze? Tell me in a comment. And you can totally figure out who her ex-mate was. He looks like Pinekit and appeared in an earlier chapter..._


	8. Into the Allegiances

**ThunderClan**

Leader

**•Firestar-** Red she-cat with round features, cream-colored paws, tail, belly, and blaze up to forehead, yellow eyes

Deputy

**•Narrowtail-** Light sandy ginger she-cat, long tail, green eyes

Medicine Cat

**•Littlebranch-** Small gray tabby she-cat, amber eyes; Apprentice- Breezepaw

Queens

**•Flowerpetal-** Black and white she-cat, yellow eyes (Mother of Sunstar's kits: Seedkit- A small ginger she-kit with yellow eyes, Grasskit- A dark ginger tabby with yellow eyes)

**•Tawnyclaw-** Dappled mottled brown tortoiseshell she-cat, yellow eyes

**•Brightpool-** Gray tabby she-cat, blue eyes (Mother of Volepelt's kits: Mousekit- A brown tabby she-kit with amber eyes, Shrewkit- A light brown she-kit with amber eyes, Runningkit- A gray tom with blue eyes)

**•Aspenfur-** Light silver she-cat, light amber eyes (Tallkit- A white tom with blue eyes, Frostkit- A white she-kit with blue eyes)

Warriors

**•Volepelt-** Brown tom, amber eyes; Apprentice- Brackenpaw

**•Dewpool**\- Black tom with white paws and belly, yellow eyes; Apprentice- Tinypaw

**•Fawnfoot-** Light ginger she-cat, green eyes

**•Rockystep-** Dark gray tabby tom, yellow eyes; Apprentice- Blackpaw

**•Smallrose-** Dark ginger she-cat, green eyes; Apprentice- Foxpaw

**•Beetlewhisker-** Black tom, green-blue eyes; Apprentice- Shadepaw

**•Cedarfall-** Brown tom, green eyes; Apprentice- Snowpaw

**•Dustrose**\- Pale brown she-cat, green eyes

**•Sedgetail-** White she-cat, green eyes; Apprentice- Yellowpaw

**•Featherfur-** Gray tom with white patches, blue eyes

**•Longfur-** Long-furred black tom, green eyes; Apprentice- Squirrelpaw

**•Hazelclaw-** Cream-colored tom with brown points, blue eyes; Apprentice- Sunnypaw

Elders

**•Brokenleg-** Black she-cat with green eyes, oldest cat in ThunderClan, former deputy of Barkstar

**•Willowtail-** Silver she-cat with black marble swirls, light green eyes

**•Applefu**r- Ginger she-cat with missing right ear, blue eyes, blind and half-deaf, Firestar's sister

**•Icefall-** White tom, blue eyes, oldest tom

**•Pinepelt-** Dark brown she-cat, green eyes, paralyzed back legs

Apprentices

**•Sunnypaw-** Yellow tom, blue eyes

**•Yellowpaw-** Yellow tom, Green eyes

**•Squirrelpaw-** Light ginger she-cat, blue eyes

**•Foxpaw-** Dark ginger she-cat, blue eyes

**•Blackpaw-** Black she-cat, big yellow-green eyes

**•Shadepaw-** White tom with black spots, yellow eyes

**•Brackenpaw-** Gray tabby tom, amber eyes

**•Tinypaw-** Gray tabby tom, amber eyes

**•Breezepaw-** Gray tabby tom, amber eyes

**•Snowpaw-** White she-cat, pale green eyes

* * *

**RiverClan**

Leader

**•Foamstar-** Long-furred white tom, yellow eyes

Deputy

**•Saltwhisker-** Silver dappled she-cat with white paws, belly, muzzle, blue eyes

Medicine Cat

**•Shinyshell-** White tom with gray smudges, yellow eyes

Queens

**•Tawnywing**\- Tortoiseshell she-cat, amber eyes (expecting Mudpool's kits)

**•Bramblefoot-** Brown tabby she-cat, yellow eyes (expecting)

**•Lilytail-** Long-furred gray she-cat, green eyes (mother of Darkpelt's kits: Pikekit- Black tabby tom with yellow eyes, Perchkit- Gray tabby she-kit with green eyes, Rosekit- Thick-furred gray she-kit with green eyes)

**•Birdwing-** White she-cat, green eyes

Warriors

**•Stonefall-** Big gray tom, yellow eyes

**•Mudpool-** Lean, sleek-furred brown tom with white paws, yellow eyes; Apprentice- Stormpaw

**•Flamenose-** Bright ginger she-cat, amber eyes; Apprentice- Cloudypaw

**•Rainpool-** Small silver tabby she-cat, blue eyes

**•Flowerfur-** Fluffy cream-colored she-cat, green eyes; Apprentice- Wetpaw

**•Sharptail-** White tom with tabby patches, yellow eyes; Apprentice- Mossypaw

**•Snowberry-** White tom with small pink nose, yellow eyes; Apprentice- Runningpaw

**•Darkpelt-** Black tabby tom, green eyes; Apprentice- Rainypaw

**•Ashwhisker-** Ashy gray tom, yellow eyes

**•Minnowfoot-** White she-cat with brown blotches, yellow eyes; Apprentice- Pebblypaw

**•Redclaw-** Dark ginger tom, green eyes

**•Smalltail-** Big black tom with a stout tail, green eyes

Elders

**•Owlfur-** Light brown she-cat with white tufts, pretty blue eyes

**•Tadpoletail-** Tortoiseshell tom, retired early due to life-long sickness

**•Creektail-** White she-cat with torn ears

**•Mothtail-** Ginger tabby she-cat

Apprentices

**•Stormpaw-** Gray tabby tom, blue eyes

**•Runningpaw-** Gray she-cat, yellow eyes

**•Pebblypaw-** White she-cat with gray patches, green eyes

**•Mossypaw-** Sandy ginger tom, green eyes

**•Rainypaw-** White tom with ginger patches, green eyes

**•Cloudypaw-** White she-cat with gray and ginger patches, green eyes

**•Wetpaw-** Black tom with stout tail, yellow eyes

* * *

**ShadowClan**

Leader

**•Scarletstar-** Russet-furred she-cat, amber eyes

Deputy

**•Darkday-** Very dark brown tom, yellow eyes

Medicine Cat

**•Featherflame-** Ginger tabby she-cat, amber eyes; Apprentice- Risingpaw

Queens

**•Daisypool-** White she-cat with ginger splotches, blue eyes (expecting)

**•Marshfoot-** Long-furred black she-cat, green eyes (Juniperkit- Silky silver she-kit with light green eyes, Softkit- Long-furred dark gray tom with big green eyes, Pinekit- Silky dark gray she-cat with blue eyes, Blackkit- Long-furred black tom with green eyes)

Warriors

**•Grayclaw-** Big gray tom. yellow eyes

**•Cloudbreeze-** White she-cat, blue eyes; Apprentice- Bigpaw

**•Puddlesplash-** Silvery gray tom, blue eyes

**•Bumblebee-** Yellow tabby tom with dark stripes, yellow eyes

**•Fernwhisker-** Brown she-cat, green eyes

**•Bluewater-** Gray tom, blue eyes; Apprentice- Mudpaw

**•Spottedwing-** White she-cat with black spots, formerly of WindClan

**•Darky-** White tom with black ears, formerly a rogue

**•Speedy-** Gray she-cat, formerly a rogue; Apprentice- Mallowpaw

**•Lizardleap-** Tan tom with tabby-stripes, yellow eyes; Apprentice- Apprentice- Sedgepaw

**•Frogflight-** Tan she-cat, green eyes

**•Whiteclaw-** Black tom with white blaze and belly and paws, yellow eyes; Apprentice- Dapplepaw

**•Pricklypine-** Black she-cat, green eyes

Elders

**•Nightflower-** Silky black she-cat, yellow eyes

**•Swampfoot-** Brown tabby tom, green eyes

**•Whiskerwing-** White tom with long battle scars

**•Jackdawtail-** Black tom with white paws and belly

Apprentices

**•Dapplepaw**\- Brown tortoiseshell she-cat, green eyes

**•Mudpaw-** Brown tom, green eyes

**•Mallowpaw-** Small cream-colored she-cat, blue eyes

**•Sedgepaw-** Small pure white she-cat, blue eyes

**•Bigpaw-** Huge white tom with black patches, yellow eyes

**•Risingpaw-** Gray she-cat with darker gray points, blue eyes

* * *

**WindClan**

Leader

**•Zebrastar-** Silver tabby she-cat, blue eyes (Specklefrost's kit named by farmplace cat)

Deputy

**•Burrpelt-** Light brown flecked tom, green eyes; Apprentice- Snowpaw

Medicine Cat

**•Honeysting-** Brown she-cat with white paws, yellow eyes

Queens

**•Lacepool-** Gray flecked she-cat, blue eyes (Mother of Jaywing's kits: Nightkit- Gray she-cat with blue eyes, Spottedkit- Dark ginger she-cat with green eyes, Scarletkit- Dark ginger she-cat with green eyes)

**•Meadowbreeze-** White she-cat with gray splashes, green eyes (Mother of Sandstep's kits: Clawkit- Dark gray-brown tom with green eyes, Sootkit- Ashy gray tom with yellow eyes, Bramblekit- Brown tabby tom with amber eyes, Meadowkit- White she-cat with brown splashes with green eyes)

•**Fuzzyfur-** Dusty tortoiseshell she-cat, yellow eyes

Warriors

**•Graymoth-** Gray tabby she-cat, amber eyes

**•Thornfoot-** Brown tabby tom, yellow eyes; Apprentice- Breezepaw

**•Specklefrost-** White she-cat with black patches, blue eyes

**•Pinknose-** Creamy-brown she-cat with small pink nose, yellow eyes

**•Figflight-** Gray tom, green eyes

**•Figleaf-** Gray tom, green eyes; Apprentice- Gorsepaw

**•Mothtail-** Gray dappled she-cat, green eyes; Apprentice- Poppypaw

**•Ashwing-** Gray she-cat, yellow eyes

**•Rockscar-** Gray she-cat with wide, furless scar, yellow eyes

**•Bladefang-** Light brown tom, green eyes

**•Sandstep-** Light brown tom, green eyes

**•Scratchpelt-** Black tom with face blaze and belly, formerly a rogue

**•Jaywing-** White tom with black patches, blue eyes

Elders

**•Hookclaw-** Brown she-cat, oldest cat in the Clans

**•Gentlevoice-** Gray tabby tom

**•Sproutleaf-** Tortoiseshell she-cat, former leader

Apprentices

**•Cloudpaw-** Gray tabby she-cat, green eyes

•**Gorsepaw-** Gray tabby she-cat, green eyes

**•Poppypaw-** Brown tabby she-cat, green eyes

**•Snowpaw-** Pure white she-cat, blue eyes

* * *

**SkyClan**

Leader

**•Sweepingstar-** Brown tabby tom with long plumy tail, amber eyes

Deputy

**•Fallingleaf-** Brown mottled tom, green eyes

Medicine Cat

**•Glidingwing-** Brown tortoiseshell she-cat, green eyes

Queens

**•Falconflight-** Mottled brown red she-cat, amber eyes (Expecting Flyinsquirrel's kits)

**•Smallfinch-** Small brown she-cat with white face stripes, yellow eyes (Mother of Whitespine's kits: Poplarkit- Brown she-kit with white back with amber eyes, Alderkit- Brown tom with white head and chest with yellow eyes)

Warriors

**•Robinfrost-** Brown and red-ginger she-cat, blue eyes

**•Dewwhisker-** Brown tom with white muzzle, yellow eyes

**•Breezefoot-** Dark brown striped tom, yellow eyes

**•Flyingsquirrel-** Dark ginger tom, yellow eyes; Apprentice- Soaringpaw

**•Barkbird-** Tortoiseshell she-cat, amber eyes; Apprentice- Rainpaw

**•Whitespine-** White tom with brown belly, neck, chin. and tail, amber eyes

**•Birdnest-** Spiky brown she-cat, yellow eyes; Apprentice- Leafpaw

**•Eggshell-** Light brown tom, green eyes

Elders

**•Jumpingbug-** Dark brown tom, amber eyes

**•Firefly-** Dark ginger tabby she-cat, amber eyes

**•Featherfoot-** White she-cat with brown belly, amber eyes

Apprentices

**•Soaringpaw-** White she-cat with gray points, blue eyes, formerly a kittypet

**•Rainpaw-** Light brown tabby tom, amber eyes

**•Leafpaw-** White she-cat with brown patches, green eyes

* * *

**Cats Outside the Clans**

**•Fluffy-** Young still-tom kittypet. Dark red with tabby stripes, bright round blue eyes. Green collar.

**•Quail-** Peculiar loner. Brown tom with white paws and belly. White flecks on flank, yellow eyes.

* * *

Okay, since everycat's been introduced and what not, I think it's time for allegiances. These are all my OC's that I know individually in my head from Tawnyclaw to Bigpaw to Meadowbreeze. Except Ashwing, who goes to Derpygirl and Rockscar was supposed to be Rockheart, owned by a random guest, and Lacepool owned by Lacepool.

Let me get this straight. Zebrastar is the daughter of Specklefrost who went off and had a kit with a barn cat who named her Zebrakit because she had stripes like a horse he had seen on Twoleg objects. Scratchpelt was a rogue who lived in the gorge. Spottedwing is Specklefrost's sister. Meh...

Have any theories? Like, why are three of the ThunderClan apprentices looking like the medicine cat? What's up with Meadowbreeze's kits? Why is ShadowClan's last thee leaders she-cats?! Why is SkyClan looking all the same? Why did it take me a week to make allegiances?! Next chapter coming soon!

I have a poll on my page about which queen is your favorite!


	9. Lovely Words

**Chapter Four- Lovely Words**

It was sunhigh. The sky stood clear and blue, like a pristine pool of rain stretching as far as the eye could see. The sun created ripples of light across the sky. Wind blew where there were no clouds, bringing a small cooling breeze.

The silver dappled deputy sat beside the old queen by the elder's den, under the chestnut tree, gazing across the RiverClan camp. It had been two days since Saltwhisker had discovered Graymoth tucked away beneath a willow. The queen had felt such a strong connection to the old she-cat. And Graymoth did not burden RiverClan in any way. She ate very little and she kept to where Foamstar said she could stay.

Foamstar padded up to them. His yellow eyes gleamed in a new way, as if he had found a piece of himself once again. Saltwhisker noticed the shine in his eyes, feeling hopeful that he had found a way to fight his depression.

"Is Graymoth well enough to return to WindClan?" The old leader meowed, sitting down by his deputy near the den.

Saltwhisker turned her head over to Graymoth. The tabby blinked her amber eyes and stared at them confusedly.

"Do I have to leave so soon?" The old queen cried. "I like it here in RiverClan."

Before Saltwhisker could say a word, Foamstar eagerly nodded. "You may stay as long as you like, Graymoth."

The long-furred tom purred, gazing into the eyes of the WindClan she-cat. Saltwhisker felt the rush of warmth of the two old cats, even through the breeze that blew through the chestnut tree. Her heart then clenched with dread. Foamstar cannot love her.

"Graymoth is well enough to return to her Clan." She growled, shouldering the white tom away.

Foamstar shrugged and padded back to his den. Saltwhisker turned towards Graymoth, her tail twitching. The gray tabby shrugged as well and looked up at the sky through the leaves.

"We have a prophecy, Graymoth." The young deputy meowed in a low voice. "You can't be my leader's mistress."

"Hedgehogs will fly." The tabby croaked, twitching her whiskers.

Suddenly, a brown ball flew over camp. Saltwhisker crouched down as it soared across the river. It was a hedgehog. A hedgehog that flew!

"My StarClan, Graymoth!" She hissed, looking at the queen with wide eyes. "Say something else."

* * *

"So Firestar." The black she-cat swiped a paw over her ear. "Tell me about Clan life with Sunstar."

The red-and-cream leader groaned, leaning against the cold wall of the dark, damp tunnel. "Sunstar was my brother."

Marshfoot's eyes widened in surprise. That crow-food cat was Firestar's kin?

"Our mother, Redflower, died when he was born. But his foster mother was kind and his father Featherfur was very good to him. But Sunstar was always ambitious. He trained hard every time of the day even as a kit. He went out to find trouble in the forest so he could prove to Barkstar that he was a warrior."

"Is that why he was such a young warrior?" The black queen tilted her head, remembering the Gathering long ago when Sunpaw was announced a warrior.

Firestar nodded. "He lured a small dog into the forest and killed it. He was only ten moons old. Then he got his own apprentice a couple seasons later."

A small growl echoed from faraway. Then it became louder quickly. They both ducked down as the tunnel rumbled and the earth shook. A monster roared from above, loosening a cloud of dust onto the cats.

"He trained his apprentice hard, but obviously Rockystep is a good warrior." The red she-cat sighed through her nose, closing her round yellow eyes when the monster had passed. "He was set to become deputy. And when Brokenleg retired, he did. And he killed Barkstar."

"And made ThunderClan his slave." Marshfoot shook her head.

"No," Firestar said surprisingly. "He treated his toms well, but put only us she-cats under his paw. He had a mate and kit alreadt, but he took on Pinepelt and Dustrose as mates as well. And he raped Littlebranch, forced himself upon Narrowtail and Tawnyclaw, and even made Brokenleg bear his kits. And poor Flowerfur was only an apprentice when Sunstar..."

"Thank you, Firestar. ShadowClan did not know of this." Marshfoot brushed against her. "Wait," The queen lurched back. "Isn't Littlebranch a medicine cat?"

Firestar did not reply, but ony said a few words. "She's my half-sister."

"What about Applefur?"

"Applefur stopped being my sister long ago. But she was the only cat to stand up to our brother. And she is still paying for it. She is blind and deaf."

Marshfoot nodded, resting her head on her paws and she laid down to the cold earth. This red-and-cream cat was amazing. She was a star-chosen leader; just an old queen suddenly becoming leader of a broken Clan. The black she-cat closed her green eyes tiredly.

Firestar rested too. She laid close by the ShadowClanner, feeling no fear and only companionship. It was no coincidence that they were meant to be together.

"My kits!" Marshfoot suddenly mewed, startling Firestar. "Oh it's dawn and my poor kits! I left without a word. Oh, Grayclaw!"

The long-furred queen sprang up, the fur along her spine spiked. Firestar looked up at her. She realized she had said nothing to her deputy, only telling the sentry that she was out for a walk. Her Clan must be worried.

"Well, let us meet at Fourtrees tomorrow night." She meowed, standing up on her paws and stretching.

"Yes." Marshfoot nodded briskly before running out of the tunnel and into the sun's light.

* * *

A/N: Just a quick little chapter. You can read Firekit's Diary for more of Firestar's, Applefur's, Berrystripe, Sunstar, and Narrowtail's life.

Congrats, Lilliana Dragonshard and DaSizzlesSwig! You both get an ominous plushie of a Himalayan cat! Hint hint. SkyClan is both inbred and colored to hunt in the trees. :D


End file.
